Simon Lang

Hi there! I build high-performance web applications.

I'm an Aussie web developer based in Brisbane. I have a Software Engineering degree, and more importantly, about 15 years of industry experience.

I specialise in modern Javascript & NodeJS development, but also have experience with a wide range of web technologies, and always love to learn new ones.

I have developed applications across a range of industries including e-commerce, online gaming, logistics and supply chain, education, finance, and more recently scholarly publishing and patents.
More examples area available under employment.

When not programming I'm most likely running around after my 18 month old twin daughters.

Starting in 2012, I worked full time for Codeworx, producing a mobile web client for the Merge Gaming Poker network. The client is a single-page application that communicates in real time directly with the game servers using web sockets. Performance, security and usability are highly important.

After returning from Scotland I immediately started working for a .NET Agency in Spring Hill called Digicon (now part of Deloitte). They produce large websites, intranets and apps for corporate type clients.

more info...2011: Open Platform. Front End Developer (.NET, Javascript)

While living in Scotland, I briefly worked for the Edinburgh .NET software house Open Platform. Corporate-level web tools for big financial insitutions and similar types of clients. Their software is very high quality. While working there I brushed up a little on my C# and SVN, got familiar with .NET MVC & IIS but mainly focused on creating the front-end of their new website, using jQuery and CSS3.

When I joined Kintek there were only two other staff members. They taught me how to produce professional websites. The company grew to about 10 employees while I was there, and began to specialise in making highly advanced web applications. It was great team and I count myself lucky to have been a part of it. It was during my time at Kintek that I developed a real passion for Software Development, and the web as a platform.

At University I worked as a tutor for a third year Web Information Systems course (INFS3202), and even received a tutoring excellence award which I was pretty proud of. The course covered topics such as HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP, JSP, Oracle, MySQL and making basic web apps. It was a relatively easy subject for a lot of students but I believed it was a good, practical course unlike a lot of the other subjects I took.

During high school and university holidays I worked as a trainee to the systems administrator of a local newspaper of about 100 staff. I really enjoyed this job. My main role was to provide technical support to the staff. My boss, the sysadmin was great and I learned plenty about troubleshooting, networking and computer hardware. I also gained a bit of insight into the print industry.

Skills

Non Technical

Clear, effective communicator

Friendly, easy going personality

Pragmatic, "best tool for the job" mentality

Ability to work with minimal direction and read and understand existing codebases independently

General Experience

Knowledge of different programming languages and paradigms

Understanding of SOLID software development principles and design patterns

Extensive experience with HTTP, REST and Web Applications in general

Extensive experience with version control (git and github, preferably)

A toy project that started as a coding interview test but which captured my imagination, and I spent the better part of a weekend working on. It uses open source NASA APIs to fetch Mars Rover mission manifests and their associated photos.

In 2014 I consulted for a Brisbane business who producied web applications. I reviewed one of their apps and codebase and produced a 10 page report covering the following aspects of their implementation of one particular project:

In 2014 I assisted a Queensland business to produce a prototype for a unique web-based drafting type tool. The prototype was used in several early demos then turned over to full time developers to refine and make feature complete.

The project uses cutting edge web technology and I found it to be a fascinating example of stretching the capabilities of the modern web.

In 2011 I assisted a small Australian business called Winning Games to make their card games into web-based apps. They include multiplayer, mini games, thousands of cards and have been implemented as Facebook Apps and Chrome Web Store apps.

This was a pretty interesting project that involved interfacing with a few different systems. The result was a slideshow that appeared on an array of large-screen televisions in a local shopping center. On the slides were real-time weather information and energy consumption information that was fetched dynamically from sensors on the solar panels on the roof of the shopping center.

One of the first projects I took on as a freelancer, involved creating a simple job-search type website, but targeted specifically at Australian high school students looking for work experience placements.

Prior to 2010 I worked for an agency, so I can't claim any of their sites or apps as purely my own work. Head over tokintek.com.au to see the sites we developed as a team between 2006 and 2010. My main role was backend and frontend programming, so I also can't take any credit for any of their beautiful designs! =)

When not working

I'm the lucky father of twin girls, who are currently 18 months old. So as passionate as I am about web development, I'll always choose my family over working late. If you're looking for someone willing to put in 60 hour work weeks, I'm not the right choice.

If I ever get time to myself, you'll find me playing guitar on the balcony.